Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)

Last updated

"Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)"
Eurythmics Beethoven.jpg
Single by Eurythmics
from the album Savage
B-side "Heaven" (LP Version)
Released12 October 1987 [1]
Recorded1987
Genre Synth-pop [2]
Length4:40 (album version)
3:56 (single version)
Label RCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) David A. Stewart
Eurythmics singles chronology
"Missionary Man"
(1987)		"Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)"
(1987)		"Shame"
(1987)
Music video
"Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)" on YouTube

"Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 12 October 1987 as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Savage (1987). Written by both Lennox and Stewart, lyrically, it focuses on a woman going insane, with the accompanying music video which was directed by Sophie Muller accompanying this portrayal. The song was pitched to their record label, RCA Records, with the strong correlation between both the song and the music video in mind. [3]

Contents

Background and composition

It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart. Although not released as a single in the United States, the track appeared as a double A-side of the 12 inch single for "I Need a Man", and received heavy rotation on MTV. It was a Top 20 hit in several European territories and also in Australia. The Savage album returned Eurythmics to a more electronic sound and the "Beethoven" vocals are performed mostly as spoken-word from Lennox, with the exception of the repeated phrase "I love to" throughout the track.

Lyrically, the song portrays a woman going mad as portrayed by Lennox. David A. Stewart claimed the song was about "somebody losing their mind, a woman under the influence or that kind of feeling", later claiming that "Annie grasped that concept straightaway". Stewart composed the song primarily on a Synclavier machine, allowing him to produce the song in a manner which allowed for lines throughout the song to be repeated. The lyrics "I was dreaming like a Texan girl" and "a girl who thinks she should have something extreme" are to contradict the portrayal of a satisfied housewife in the accompanying music video. [3]

The song was not initially the preferred choice as lead single from the album by their record label, RCA Records, however, at this stage of their career, Eurythmics had full control over which songs were to be released as singles from their albums. Stewart claimed that "imagine, I delivered this video as the first single to the record label, they [RCA Record executives] all sitting in a room, I put it on, and there's Annie going, I was dreaming like a Texas girl". Stewart imagined the response from the record label would have been along the lines of "what the hell is this?" or "she's got a wig on and knitting". [3]

Music video

Lennox as the housewife Lennox Beethoven1.png
Lennox as the housewife
Lennox as the vixen Lennox Beethoven2.png
Lennox as the vixen

Music videos were produced for all twelve tracks on the Savage album, most of which were directed by Sophie Muller, and most of them with a shared concept featuring character(s) played by Lennox who display characteristics of dissociative identity disorder or split personalities.

As the first part of this loose narrative, the "Beethoven" video begins with Lennox portraying a repressed, middle-class housewife, knitting in her apartment. She exhibits characteristics of obsessive–compulsive disorder through her habitual cleaning and chopping of vegetables. The video also includes a mischievous little girl who has blonde hair, and a man who is wearing make-up and an evening gown, neither of whom are directly noticed by the housewife even though they are in her living room with her.

These characters are seemingly components of a new character that the dowdy housewife becomes as she has a nervous breakdown and transforms herself into a blonde, overtly sexual vixen. In this newly liberated persona, she trashes the apartment that, as a housewife, she had kept meticulously clean. The video ends with her walking out into the street laughing.

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, Pete Paisley of Record Mirror described it as "the strangest Lennox/Stewart song to date" and "totally loop-di-loop". He added, "Annie assumes a variety of singing voices over a typically brisk production from chum Dave. Impossible to tell what's going on. But let's just hope they make enough dosh from it never to have to do it again." [4] Jerry Smith of Music Week praised it as a "striking track" with its "spoken verses and curiously catchy chorus". [5]

Track listings

  1. "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)" (7" Edit) – 3:59
  2. "Heaven" (LP Version) – 3:24
  1. "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)" (Dance Mix) – 5:18
  2. "Heaven" (LP Version) – 3:24
  3. "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)" (LP Version) – 4:48 *
  1. "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)" (7" Edit) – 3:59
  2. "Heaven" (LP Version) – 3:24
  3. "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)" (Dance Mix) – 5:18
  1. "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)" (7" Edit) – 3:59
  2. "Heaven" (LP Version) – 3:24

Charts

Chart performance for "Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)"
Chart (1987–1988)Peak
position
Australia (Australian Music Report) [6] 13
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [7] 28
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles) [8] 15
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [9] 5
Ireland (IRMA) [10] 11
Italy ( Musica e dischi ) [11] 8
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) [12] 10
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [13] 41
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [14] 6
Norway (VG-lista) [15] 6
South Africa (Springbok Radio) [16] 23
Spain (AFYVE) [17] 18
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [18] 9
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [19] 19
UK Singles (OCC) [20] 25
US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [21]
with "I Need a Man"		6
US Dance Singles Sales ( Billboard ) [22]
with "I Need a Man"		13
West Germany (GfK) [23] 28

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurythmics</span> British new wave duo

Eurythmics were a British new wave duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band that broke up in 1980. They released their first studio album, In the Garden, in 1981 to little success, but achieved global acclaim with their second album, Sweet Dreams (1983). The title track became a worldwide hit, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart, and number one in Canada and the US Billboard Hot 100. Eurythmics went on to release a string of hit singles and albums, including "Love Is a Stranger", "There Must Be an Angel " and "Here Comes the Rain Again", before splitting in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie Lennox</span> Scottish musician (born 1954)

Ann Lennox is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart went on to achieve international success in the 1980s as Eurythmics. Appearing in the 1983 music video for "Sweet Dreams " with orange cropped hair and wearing a man's lounge suit, the BBC wrote, "all eyes were on Annie Lennox, the singer whose powerful androgynous look defied the male gaze". Subsequent hits with Eurythmics include "There Must Be an Angel ", "Love Is a Stranger" and "Here Comes the Rain Again".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Is the House</span> 1982 single by Eurythmics

"This Is the House" is a 1982 song by the British new wave duo Eurythmics. It was their third single, and was included on the band's second album Sweet Dreams .

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Is a Stranger</span> 1982 single by Eurythmics

"Love Is a Stranger" is a song by the British pop duo Eurythmics. It is the opening track off their second album, Sweet Dreams . Originally released in late 1982, the single peaked outside the top 50 in the UK, but it was re-released in 1983, reaching the top 20 in several countries, including number six in the UK. The single was re-released again in 1991, to promote Eurythmics' Greatest Hits album.

<i>Savage</i> (video) 1988 video by Eurythmics

Savage is a video album by the British pop duo Eurythmics released in 1988 on VHS and LaserDisc. It is a companion video to their 1987 music album of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves</span> 1985 single by Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin

"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics and American singer Aretha Franklin. A modern feminist anthem, it was written by Eurythmics members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and featured on both Eurythmics' Be Yourself Tonight (1985) and Franklin's Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985) albums. The duo originally intended to perform with Tina Turner, who was unavailable at the time and so they flew to Detroit and recorded with Franklin instead. The track also features three of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers: Stan Lynch on drums, Benmont Tench on organ, and Mike Campbell on lead guitar, plus session bassist Nathan East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)</span> 1983 single by Eurythmics

"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is a song by British synth-pop duo Eurythmics. It was released as the fourth and final single from their second album of the same name in January 1983. It was their breakthrough hit, establishing the duo worldwide. It reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in March 1983, and number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 six months later; it was their first single released in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who's That Girl? (Eurythmics song)</span> 1983 single by Eurythmics

"Who's That Girl?" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics. It was written by band members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Right by Your Side (Eurythmics song)</span> 1983 single by Eurythmics

"Right by Your Side" is a 1983 song by the British pop duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, and produced by Stewart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Would I Lie to You? (Eurythmics song)</span> 1985 single by Eurythmics

"Would I Lie to You?" is a song written and performed by British pop duo Eurythmics. Released on 9 April 1985 as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album, Be Yourself Tonight (1985), the song was the first by the duo to feature their change in musical direction from a predominantly synthpop style to rock and rhythm and blues. The song, and its accompanying album, featured a full backing band and relied less on electronic programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)</span> 1985 single by Eurythmics

"It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)" is a song written and recorded by the British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was released as the fourth and final single from their 1985 album Be Yourself Tonight. The song was produced by Dave Stewart, and the song's brass arrangement was devised by Michael Kamen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missionary Man (song)</span> 1986 single by Eurythmics

"Missionary Man" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics from their fifth studio album, Revenge (1986). The song features Jimmy Zavala on harmonica and Joniece Jamison on backing vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Miracle of Love</span> 1986 single by Eurythmics

"The Miracle of Love" is an electropop ballad recorded by British duo Eurythmics. It was written by Eurythmics members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. The track was released as the third single from the duo's sixth album Revenge in the UK. It was not released as a single in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shame (Eurythmics song)</span> 1987 single by Eurythmics

"Shame" is a song recorded by British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was written by band members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. The song appears on the duo's sixth studio album Savage and was released as the second single in the UK. "Shame" was not released in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Need a Man (Eurythmics song)</span> 1988 single by Eurythmics

"I Need a Man" is a song recorded by British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was written by band members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. Taken from their sixth album, Savage (1987), the song was released in May 1988 by RCA Records as the third single in the UK and the first single in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart</span> 1988 single by Eurythmics

"You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, and appears on the duo's sixth studio album, Savage (1987). The song was released in May 1988 by RCA as the fourth and final single from the album in the United Kingdom and as the second in the United States. In the first, it was the only single from the album to reach the top 20 on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 16. The music video for the song was directed by Sophie Muller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revival (Eurythmics song)</span> 1989 single by Eurythmics

"Revival" is a 1989 song by the British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, along with keyboardist Pat Seymour and vocalist Charlie Wilson who also sang backing vocals for the track. Produced by Stewart and Jimmy Iovine, it was the first single to be released from Eurythmics' 1989 album We Too Are One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Ask Me Why (Eurythmics song)</span> 1989 single by Eurythmics

"Don't Ask Me Why" is a song recorded by British pop music duo Eurythmics, released as the second single from their seventh album, We Too Are One (1989). The song was written by bandmembers Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart with Jimmy Iovine. In the US, it was released as the first single from the album. It is a lush pop song with melancholy and bitter lyrics which describe the ending of a love relationship. In it Lennox tells the subject "don't ask me why / I don't love you any more / I don't think I ever did".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The King and Queen of America</span> 1990 single by Eurythmics

"The King and Queen of America" is a song recorded by pop music duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart with Jimmy Iovine. The track appears on their album We Too Are One and was released as the album's third UK single in January 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Bird (Annie Lennox song)</span> 1993 single by Annie Lennox

"Little Bird" is a song composed and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox. Taken from her debut solo album, Diva (1992), it was produced by Stephen Lipson and released in February 1993 by RCA and BMG as a double A-side with "Love Song for a Vampire" in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and various other European countries. In other territories, "Little Bird" was released alone.

References

  1. ↑ "Index: Releases". Record Mirror . 3 October 1987. p. 8. ISSN   0144-5804.
  2. ↑ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Eurythmics". Spin Alternative Record Guide . New York: Vintage Books. pp. 135–136. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  3. 1 2 3 "Beethoven (I Love to Listen To) by Eurythmics". Song Facts. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  4. ↑ Paisley, Pete (17 October 1987). "Singles". Record Mirror . p. 12. ISSN   0144-5804.
  5. ↑ Smith, Jerry (17 October 1987). "A&R: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . p. 22. ISSN   0265-1548 . Retrieved 29 January 2023– via World Radio History.
  6. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 105. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  7. ↑ "Eurythmics – Beethoven" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  8. ↑ "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 4, no. 47. 28 November 1987. p. 18. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
  9. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  10. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  11. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 2 June 2022.Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Eurythmics" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
  12. ↑ "Eurythmics – Beethoven" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  13. ↑ "Eurythmics – Beethoven" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  14. ↑ "Eurythmics – Beethoven". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  15. ↑ "Eurythmics – Beethoven". VG-lista. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  16. ↑ "SA Charts 1965–1989 (As presented on Springbok Radio/Radio Orion) – Acts E". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  17. ↑ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  18. ↑ "Eurythmics – Beethoven". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  19. ↑ "Eurythmics – Beethoven". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  20. ↑ "Eurythmics: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  21. ↑ "Eurythmics Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  22. ↑ "Eurythmics Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  23. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Eurythmics – Beethoven" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.